


To Live

by RinkuWolfe207



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, BAMF Kara, Characters from the arrowverse will make an appearance, GamerKara!, Gen, Kara Danvers Needs a Hug, Kara has anger issues, Kara is Snarky, Kara is a swordswoman, Kara is the protagonist, Lex Luthor Being an Asshole, Multi, No SAO characters make an appearance sorry, Romance will appear later, SAO inspired, Streaky is best pet, Sword Art Online AU, Tags will be updated, They mostly teens, fluff in some parts, kara is human
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:42:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23880253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RinkuWolfe207/pseuds/RinkuWolfe207
Summary: Ever since she lost her parents at 13 years old, Kara Danvers had struggled in the real world.She was bullied in her school.Her cousin had abandoned her and never made an effort to communicate.Alex, her new sister, disliked her and avoided her.Eliza and Jeremiah, while nice, spent a lot of time on their work.Having enough of the real world, Kara became focused on video games, playing in order to forget reality once she turned 14.When LuthorCorp announced a Beta for a VRMMORPG called Sword Art Online on the new NerveGear, Kara had no problem diving right in.When it came to the official release of Sword Art Online during the summer of 2030, Kara Danvers never expected what came next.OrThe alternate universe where Kara and a few others are trapped in a video game and have to fight to get out
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Kara Danvers, Barry Allen & Kara Danvers, Eliza Danvers & Kara Danvers, Jeremiah Danvers & Kara Danvers, Kara Danvers & Clark Kent, Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers & Streaky(The Cat), Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Lena Luthor & Jack Spheer
Comments: 60
Kudos: 237





	1. June 26,2030

**Author's Note:**

> Hello All! Welcome to this crossover that has been nagging me ever since I watched the first two seasons of SAO, and if you have watched all the way to the recent episodes, please don't post spoilers (haven't watched it yet!). To any SAO fans, sorry to say that no SAO characters will be making an appearance, although some things from the anime will make an appearance. To Supergirl fans, there will be many gaming terms, so be ready! Also, this is one of my first stories posted on this website, so I'm sorry if there is any glitches or anything. It's been a while since I've written anything long so, please, bear with me. Anyway, read on!

It was June 26 of 2030, and Kara Danvers had never been happier. 

Finally, she would have a break from the bullies from her school and finally be able to spend time playing her favorite games. From The Witcher on her PS4, to Breath of the Wild on her Switch. Games in which she could spend hours and never get bored of. And of course SAO, which would officially launch later that day.

“Kara! Come on down! Breakfast!” Eliza’s voice could be heard from downstairs. 

She just had to last a couple more hours.

Kara dragged her eyes away from the ceiling, and briefly looked towards the other side of the shared room. Alex wasn’t in her bed, that much she could tell, even through blurred vision.

_ ‘Well, she woke up early’  _ Kara thought tiredly. She reached towards her nightstand to grab her glasses, and put them on.

“Kara!” Kara heard Eliza's voice again.

With a sigh, Kara sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed. She rubbed her eyes before she rushed to get dressed. Two minutes later, dressed in a pair of black jeans, black converse and a blue long sleeve, she made her way downstairs. 

As she walked down the stairs, she allowed her eyes to trail over the picture frames hung up on the wall. Most of the picture frames consisted of Alex and her parents but she spotted one of her when she was adopted two years ago.

Kara reached the bottom of the stairs and made her way to the kitchen, seeing Eliza in front of the stove. Alex was sitting on one of the chairs, looking at her phone, an empty plate in front of her save for a few crumbs. Jeremiah had been away for a couple of days for a talk he had to attend, and wouldn't be back for three more days, so his chair was empty. Eliza’s chair had a plate in front or it.

“Good morning Eliza.” Kara made her way to her chair. Alex didn't look up from her phone.

“Good morning sweetie” Eliza flipped a pancake.

“Morning Alex.” Kara said softly, sitting down in her chair. She reached for a pancake from the plate that was in the middle of the table, along with the Canadian syrup bottle. She opened the bottle and poured a generous amount on her pancake.

Alex stood up, taking the plate with her. “Well I'm done mom, I'm gonna go now. I'm gonna meet Vicky and the other girls before classes start.” Alex placed the plate in the sink and kissed Eliza's cheek, and made her way out of the kitchen.

“Well, alright. Have a good day at school Alex.” If Eliza was surprised, she didn't show it.

Alex didn’t spare a glance at Kara. 

Kara ignored the hurt she felt, and stabbed right into the pancake, bringing it to her mouth. 

Eliza turned off the stove and placed the pancake on her own plate, taking a seat. 

Kara chewed slowly, enjoying the sweetness of the syrup.

“Did you sleep well?” Eliza asked, cutting into her own pancake.

Kara swallowed her food. “Yes.”

“Today is the last day of your freshman year. So, what do you want to do for the summer? We could go camping. We could go to the beach. We could go visit Metropolis to see that video game store you showed me yesterday.” Eliza listed.

“I’m okay just staying home. SAO is dropping later today at 4, so I just want to play that.” Kara smiled a little. Kara’s ear picked up footsteps making their way down the stairs.

“Later mom!” Kara heard Alex yell, then both Eliza and Kara heard the front door close.

Eliza sighed. “That girl. I’m so sorry Kara, I don’t know why Alex is acting this way towards you.” 

_ ‘She was always like this towards me, she just wasn't as obvious,’  _ Kara thought sadly, but said ,”She’s a senior, maybe she just has a lot of stuff to do.” 

“Even so.” Eliza took another bite. 

They finished their breakfast in silence.

Kara glanced towards the clock hanging in the kitchen. It read  **7:45** .

“Are you going to drop me off today?” Kara asked, picking up her plate and fork and going over to wash them in the sink. She also washed Alex’s plate.

“I would love to dear, but my colleague called earlier, says he is close to a break through on th-”

“-On the prosthetics right?” Kara interrupted gently. Eliza had been working on prosthetics for amputees. Kara didn’t know all the details but if Eliza was involved, it was bound to do good.

“Yes. Which means that I won’t be home until 10 at the latest.” Eliza sighed again. Kara noticed the slight dark circles under her eyes.

“It’s okay. I’ll just bike there. It’s nice out today anyway.” Kara dried her hands with a paper towel.

“Well, at least you get some exercise done. You do spend a lot of time just sitting down.” 

“I’ll have you know, I do exercise.” Kara scoffed.

Eliza turned to look at Kara.

“Mental exercises. Some puzzles in some games do cause my brain to strain.” Kara grinned. 

Eliza gave Kara a look. “Or because you spend a lot of time in front of the computer screen and it’s your brain telling you enough.”

“Sure, could be that.” Kara looked at the clock again.  **7:55** it read. “I’m gonna go now, Eliza. I’ll see you later tonight. Do you know if Alex is uh-”

“-Alex is going over to Vicky’s house for a sleepover, so she’ll be here tomorrow.” Eliza said, standing up and going to her purse, opening her wallet and taking out a twenty. Eliza handed the money over to Kara, who sputtered.

“Eliza, I’ll just get lunch from the cafeter-”

“-I was a kid once, and dear lord do I remember the cafeteria food. Since I wasn't able to pack a lunch for you today, here you go. Go out and buy some food, it’s your last day. Midvale High still allows that, right?” 

“Y-yes.”

“Good. Now go on and get your stuff before you get there late. I’ll open the garage door so you can ride your bike out.” Eliza made her way over to the garage.

Kara pocketed the money, and made her way back to her shared room. She walked over to her side of the room, and walked towards her desk, where her computer monitors were placed, along with the NerveGear. She had left her book bag on her desk chair so she picked it up. Placing her bookbag on her back, she sent her NerveGear a longing look before walking out of the room, and closing the door behind her.

Just a couple of hours, and she would be back in Sword Art Online.


	2. Link Start!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara's last day at Midvale High

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second chapter! Thank you so much for the support on the first chapter! Apologies if there are grammar and spelling mistakes, it's been a while since I've written. If you spot any, please let me know! Anyway. read on!

As she biked her way towards Midvale high, Kara allowed her mind to wander slightly about what she would do for the day.

First, attend classes at Midvale High, survive the annoyance that are the junior and some senior girls. Second, find Kenny during lunch and hope he was one of the 9,000 people able to get a copy of SAO. Third, talk to Mr John about continuing sword practice during the summer. After school was done, play SAO until Eiza got home.

Yes, Midvale High had a sword class. Why? No one knows, other than it was a better option than regular gym class. And it is one of Kara's favorite classes, next to history. It was a good workout, and Kara was able to kick some of the seniors butts. Sword class was her last class, and after that..

Kara sighed.

..she would finally be back in SAO.

\-----------------------------------------

It took a couple of more minutes before she made it to her school. Once she made it towards the bike racks, she got off the bike, and quickly chained her bike securely. She turned to look towards the school as she took off her red bike helmet.

Midvale High was a rather old school. Unlike some other schools that had the highest of tech for learning, Midvale still utilized chalk boards in some ways, and the best tech they offered was laptops. The school required students to keep their phones away in class, and if they spot you with your phone out, well, you get detention. Something about phones distracting students from learning.

Kara made her way towards the entrance of the school, bringing out her school ID from her book bags side pocket. After showing it to the security guard, she made her way towards her locker. Placing her ID back in her book bags side pocket, she took out her phone, and pressed the home button. The time was **8:30 AM**. Half an hour until classes start.

At least she had time to chill.

Making her way to her locker, Kara eyed some of her lovely peers hanging out in the hallways. There were some of your stereotypical senior jocks who tried to hook up with some of the sophomore and junior girls, thinking they're all cool because they get concussions for a sport. There were some anime fans sitting in the corner, sharing their expectations for upcoming series during the summer. If Kara had nothing else to play, bet she would watch some anime. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Alex hanging out with her lovely friend Icky Vicky and a couple other seniors, near the stairs heading to the second floor.

Once she reached her locker, she quickly spun her combination (7,7,12), and opened her locker, immediately placing her helmet inside. There was bound to be no school work, so she just kept her bookbag with her, which held only a few loose leaf papers in a folder. Normally the last day of school is just watching a movie and/or playing Kahoot. Kara just hoped she didn't get any summer break homework.

She closed her locker, put the lock back on, and made her way towards her first class. English.

As she walked towards her class, which thankfully is on the first floor, her eyes trailed over to a certain group hanging in the room next to her class.

Her lovely bully group, which mostly consisted of insecure sophore girls, was surprisingly down in members. The head of the group wasn't present, so Kara just hoped she decided to ditch the last day.

Ignoring their gazes, she made her way inside her class, where there were a couple of her peers already seated. She sat down in her chair, placing her book bag on the back of her chair. Since class didn't start until 9, she decided to look at some news on her phone.

As she searched Sword Art Online on the internet, some of the news articles popped up were:

**Sword Art Online Launches TODAY! READ some tips on how to become a PRO**

**LUTHORCORP’S VRMMORPG launches TODAY at 4PM CT**

**Sword Art Online- The First VRMMORPG, READ to find out what that means!**

**NerveGear- The Start of a new generation of Gaming Brought to You by LUTHORCORP**

**10,000 Players Given the Chance to Play SAO, READ to FInd Out when SAO Becomes Available to More Players**

**READ some feedback from the 1,000 BETA TESTERS OF SAO**

And of course, some news articles that painted SAO in a bad light. One news article in particular stood out to her:

**LEX LUTHOR’S way to Manipulate Future Generations**

Kara clicked on it, out of curiosity. Once she saw that the newspaper was from the Daily Planet and written by _Clark Kent_ , she closed the tab, swallowing the sudden anger she felt. Shaking her head, and ignoring her shaky hands, she decided to check in on the forum made by the beta testers of SAO.

Having been chosen as a beta tester for SAO during the summer of 2029 had been the best thing that ever happened to Kara, and it was one of the few times Kara had ever felt lucky.

For the BETA test of Sword Art Online, there had been so much competition, that according to some sources, over 1 million people had applied to be beta testers but only 1,000 people were chosen. Some of them were teenagers, and Kara had never been more thankful of Eliza, who allowed her to take part. The amazing thing about having been a beta tester for the game was that it guaranteed that you would have access to the official game once it launched. Beta testers already had the software, and LuthorCorp was gracious enough to allow beta testers the auto download option, one that Kara enabled the night before.

Beta testers of SAO had all formed a forum for the beta; sharing quest locations, item locations, locations where certain monsters spawn, secret dungeons, information over bosses, and so much more. Although, it is certain some things players kept to themselves. There was one little quest Kara found that no one else did, and she certainly never shared it. She just hoped that quest was still available in the official launch. Looking at the forum, she spotted a new thread titled **‘WE’RE BACK B***CHS….AT 4!!’** It made her chuckle.

“Alright class, I know it’s the last day and all, but we are still doing work today.” Her teacher spoke, voice serious.

Kara looked up from her phone as some of her classmates groaned.

“...I’m joking. I’m not that mean, but we will be watching a short movie, and I want all phones away. We will be having a short discussion afterwards, and that’ll be it.”

Kara sighed deeply. She put her phone away.

Just a couple more hours.

\-----------------------

It felt like time flew by and it was soon lunch time. Like Kara expected, most of her classes consisted of playing computer games, or watching a movie. An easy last day.

Entering the cafeteria, Kara made her way over to her regular corner table, where she spotted Kenny. She quickly rushed over.

“Kenny, did you get it?!” She slammed her hands on the table, startling her friend.

“Well, hello to you too.” Kenny smiled, patting the place next to him.

“Sorry. Hi Kenny!” Kara sat down next to him. “So?”

Kenny’s shoulders slumped. “No, I wasn’t able to get it.”

Kara frowned. “Darn. I was really hoping.”

“Me too. I really wanted to experience what you did. I mean, fighting a literal goblin sounds like so much fun!”

“It was fun, but man was it hard, that boss threw so many minions at us. There were like 7 parties of 6 players, and it took us three tries to beat it! Sucks that you weren’t able to get it.” Kara leaned back in her seat.

“I just hope I’m able to get it when it becomes available to more players.” Kenny rummaged around in his book bag.

“That’ll take at least a couple more months, but if anything, I’ll help you become a pro.” Kara grinned. “I was one of the few beta testers who got to level 10 before they closed the beta. I’ll show you all the good spots.”

“Anyway, I got the images of the stars you asked me about.” Kenny took out a folder, and placed it on the table.

“Cool.” Kara opened the folder and took out some images of stars, immediately recognizing some constellations.

“Why did you even want me to print these pictures? I gave them to you a year ago.” Kenny asked, curious. He closed his book bag.

“Well, one thing I sent as feedback on the Beta was the fact that there were barely any stars on any of the floors. I sent some of the images you sent me to LuthorCorp, asking if they were thinking of placing stars in the game. I thought they would be a good idea for navigating. And, well, I just wanted them printed.” Kara eyed the images.

“Wait, really?! Why didn’t you tell me?!” Kenny turned to Kara, feeling his heart drop.

Kara furrowed her eyebrows in thought. “I thought I already told you.”

“No you didn’t!”

“Well, now you know.”

“Kara, I’m freaking out her-”

“The images you gave me were clearer than any other images I found online, surprisingly. Heck, even Mr. Luthor sent me a thank you email for the images.”

“Mr.L-luthor sent you-” Kenny stuttered. Lex Luthor was one of his idols.

Kara stood up, placing the folder in her book bag. “Come on, let's get some food. Eliza gave me some money. I’m hungry for some chicken nuggets, and I’m feeling nice today, so I’m willing to share.” She made her way towards the exit of the cafeteria, Kenny rushing to catch up.

\-----------------------------  
Lunch went by quickly, and was thankfully uninterrupted by her regular tormentors. Like she had hoped, the head of the group didn't show up to school. After lunch ended, she went to history class, which sadly, she didn’t share with Kenny. In history class, they played Kahoot, where she absolutely dominated every round. Then it was time for her favorite. Sword class.

Entering the designated room, she was surprised to see it mostly empty, save for a few students sitting on the floor. The majority of them on their phones.

She entered the room and quickly sat at her usual corner.

John, her teacher wasn’t in the room.

With a mental shrug, Kara decided to lean back against the wall, and wait. Her eyes looked up towards the clock in the room, which read **2:45 PM**.

_‘So close.’_ Kara thought.

A few minutes later, John entered the room. “Sorry for being late, everyone.”

Her favorite teacher made his way towards the middle of the room.  
“Since, it’s the last day and your last period, there won’t be any swordplay today. So, you all can do whatever you want, as long as you remain relatively quiet.” He shot some of the senior boys a stern look. Some of them gave a sheepish look.

“I will be in my office, so if you have any questions, feel free to talk to me.” With that John made his way to the small office connected to the room.

Everyone around her split off into groups to talk.

She made her way towards John’s office, knocking on the open door.

“Come on in Kara.”

“How did you know it was me, Mr John?” Kara asked, walking into the small office. Her blue eyes lingered on some trophies placed around the small room.

“You’re one of the few students who I can tell, really enjoy this class.” John smiled at her.  
“I really do enjoy it. Do you think there is any way I can continue to practice during the summer?” Kara turned her eyes towards her teacher.

“Well, I am going on vacation for the summer with my family, so I won’t be able to help you personally, but there are some classes in town you could attend, even a few in National City. Hold on.” John was on his computer for a few seconds before he printed a piece of paper. He handed it to Kara who looked it over.

“From what I’ve read, these classes provide the gear you need, so you just need to sign up online. They even offer a student discount, you just need to have Eliza fill out a consent form.”

“Cool. Thank you Mr John.” Kara smiled happily.

“My pleasure. You’re a great pupil and you have good technique. Who knows maybe you’ll be the next champion in swordsmanship.”

Kara just laughed, not believing that statement for a second.

\----------------------------------------------------

Once the final bell rang, Kara was practically running through the halls towards her locker. She quickly unlocked it, took out her helmet and rushed to drop off the lock at the main office. A couple minutes later, she rushed towards the bike racks, putting on her bike helmet. She quickly unlocked her bike, and was off. She was pedaling like a madwoman for 30 minutes straight, almost getting doored a few times but fortunate to get home in one piece.

She opened the door to the garage, and placed her bike along the wall. She took off her helmet and placed it on the handle bars. She made her way up the stairs and into her shared room. She placed her book bag on her desk chair, and was quick to take off her shoes and change clothes.

Now in black sweatpants and a red shirt, she rushed to turn on her monitors, smiling widely when she saw the notification **_SAO DOWNLOADED_ **on her screen. She looked at the time at the corner of her computer screen. **3:59 PM**. She was quick to plug in her NerveGear, and make sure none of the wires were tangled too badly. Once she was sure everything was in order, she made her way towards her bed.

She looked at the time again. **4:02 PM**

She sat down at the middle of her bed. She took off her glasses and placed them on her nightstand. With a smile, she placed the NerveGear on her head, and laid down.

With a strong voice, she said, “Link Start!”

With that, she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we get to the fun stuff. If you have any ideas ideas or questions, let me know. Thank you for reading!


	3. Friend for Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara finds her first quest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here is the third chapter! Thank you to those who commented, it means a lot! Again, apologies for any grammar and spelling mistakes. If you spot any, let me know!  
> Hope you all like it!

Once she spoke those words, her vision went white before she was barraged with multiple colors. A couple of tabs appeared in her vision. 

**< <TOUCH?>> CONFIRMED!**

**< <SIGHT?>> CONFIRMED!**

**< <HEARING?>> CONFIRMED!**

**< <TASTE?>> CONFIRMED!**

**< <SMELL?>> CONFIRMED!**

Her vision went white again, once all her senses were confirmed to be in order. Since she had been in the beta, all the configurations were the same. 

A blue box of text appeared that held the word **< <LANGUAGE>>** and **< <ENGLISH>>** was selected automatically. A **< <LOGIN>>** box was then opened, where she was automatically logged in.

Another small tab appeared in her vision.

______________________________________________________________

**< <PLEASE READ>>**

**We have found your account on our servers, and are offering the opportunity to start with a new Player Username and a new avatar!**

**Previous account:**

**<** **_Zor-El(Female)_ ** **> **

**Select <** **_Keep Playing_ ** **> in order to play on your previous existing account. PLEASE NOTE that you will start with your previous avatar and player username, MINUS ITEMS AND EVERYTHING ACQUIRED DURING THE BETA.**

**Select <** **_Start Anew_ ** **> to design your new avatar and new Player Name ** **(PLEASE NOTE. Once you have chosen your name, it cannot be changed!)**

**______________________________________________________________**

  
  


Kara selected **< Keep Playing>** and her vision was then filled with the words:

**WELCOME TO SWORD ART ONLINE!**

Her sight was then filled with blue flashes.

Then Kara was standing. 

Kara blinked a couple of times, getting used to the sudden light from the virtual sun. She looked around, realizing she spawned in the large courtyard in the center of the Town of Beginnings, a place she had also first spawned in the beta. She spotted player after player spawning around her.

She looked down at her avatar’s clothes. Her black sweatpants and red shirt was changed in favor of a form fitting pair of black pants and red long sleeve shirt, with a leather chestplate sitting comfortably on her upper body. She looked down towards her feet, which were now in brown leather ankle boots. She looked at her hands, which were now in black fingerless gloves. Her forearms were now covered in brown leather bracers.

She rolled her shoulders, trying to get used to her avatar body again. She walked slowly towards the fountain that was in the middle of the courtyard, feeling her joints move stiffly. As she walked, the easier it was to move her legs. Keeping her face forwards, she moved her eyes to her upper left, where she spotted her health bar and level.

**< <Zor-El >> **

**Lvl 1**

**HP 150/150**

Leveling up was essential in SAO, as it was the only way to raise your level...unless they changed that. In SAO, there were multiple skills that could be unlocked as a player completes different types of quests. Some of them were:

**< Strength>**

**< Agility>**

**< Defense>**

**< Luck>**

**< Charisma>**

**< Bartering>**

Now, these were some that every player tended to have during the beta, although there were quite a bit of players that found other skills. For instance, players that thrived in stealing items from players, found the lovely ** <Thievery>** skill, along with the **< Hiding>** skill. Some of the players who found a profession in the game often found other skills as well. Players who chose to become a **< Merchant>** , often found the skill **< Bribery>** . Some who chose the profession of **< Blacksmith> ** had the skill of **< Smithing>** , and often, when in a party, would increase the **< Luck>** skill. Some who chose to focus on mixing items found the **< Brewing>** skill, and some were able to make health potions, or even poisons. Some players had even found the **< Fishing>** skill on one of the upper floors.

There was bound to be more skills to be found.

Once she reached the fountain, she looked at her reflection. Her hair was the same length and style as it was in real life, resting a little below her shoulders, just a lighter blonde. Her blue eyes stared back at her, just a little darker than her eyes in real life.

The game allowed you to alter your eye color, hair color, skin color, and even gender, when you first login. Some male beta testers had chosen to play with female avatars during the beta test, and some female beta testers had played with male avatars. The only way you found out if a player was playing with an avatar of their opposite gender was through the forum, and even then it was hard to figure out.

Man, were there some funny stories though.

Kara had contemplated on playing with a male avatar, but decided not to, preferring to kick butt as herself. It was more satisfying.

She dipped her fingers in the fountain, feeling the water with her fingers. It felt cold. As she heard more players spawn, she decided to get a move on.

With a smile, she headed towards the Northern District of the Town of Beginnings.

Town of Beginnings was the starting place for every player, and held four districts. 

The Southern District consisted mostly of shops where players could trade with NPC’s, at least until a player chose to become a ** <Merchant>, ** and **< Blacksmith>** shops, and some restaurants and some inns **.**

The Eastern and Western Districts were where players could choose to buy a cheap in-game house, or set up their own shop. It was also the districts where there were a lot of NPC’s

The Northern District was what Beta players called the Farming District, as it consisted mostly of farms, and well, was where someone could farm for items or **< Kol>** , the currency in SAO **.** Each district had their own exit towards the outside fields.

There were a lot of quests one could find within each district, most of them in the Northern District, but there was one in particular Kara wanted to find.

As she walked North, she eyed the buildings and NPC’s, all of which showed an improvement in detail. Buildings in the beta had shown good structure, but they had looked too perfect, but now, some of the walls had scratches, and even some ants climbing the walls. NPC’s were having conversations among themselves, and some of the NPC’s that were children, were playing with other kid NPC’s. In the beta, the dialogue and actions from NPC’s had sounded too forced, too robotic, but man, did they improve that. 

With a swing of her right hand, she brought up her **< Menu>. **She eyed some of the tabs.

**[Character Profile]**

**[Inventory]**

**[Weapons]**

**[Armor]**

**[Skills]**

**[Map]**

**[Quest Log]**

**[Friend List]**

**[Trade Requests]**

She looked at the ingame clock, which read **4:10 PM.**

She closed her menu. She made it further north, away from the chattering of the spawning players. She kept walking until she came upon a dark alleyway, recognizing it. She looked around, seeing some familiar NPC’s handling a fruit stand from the beta, and a farm a few meters away.

She walked into the alley, seeing a couple of wooden crates along the wall.

_‘Please, let him be here.’_ Kara looked around the crates for a couple of minutes before walking further into the alley. 

She was about to lose hope when she heard a -

_“Mroww”_

Her hope came back as she got closer to the sound. She eventually came to an upside down wooden crate.

She heard it again. _“Meow?”_

She bent down, and reached towards the wooden crate. She slowly lifted it until her blue eyes met with those of a small orange tabby kitten. 

“Hello there.” Kara said softly, smiling. She lifted the crate from above the kitten and placed it gently behind her.

The orange tabby was a little bit bigger than her hands, and it’s blue eyes were similar to her own. The kitten's pupils were wide and trusting. Kara reached out her left hand slowly, which the kitten got closer to, sniffing curiously. 

A few seconds passed before the kitten leaned against her hand, rubbing itself against her.

Kara let out a sigh of relief. She gently scratched between the kitten's ears, petting him up and down his back, before reaching beneath his neck, where the kitten all but melted. She felt and heard the kitten’s purr. She kept petting him for a few more minutes, until she felt that it was enough. Once she stopped, the kitten looked up at her, looking annoyed at the fact that she had stopped the petting. The kitten rubbed against her left hand again, and then Kara heard a _Ding!_ , then a new tab showed up in her sight.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**< <Quest Found!>>**

**< Quest: Friend for Life>**

**You were wandering through an alleyway in the Northern District when you came upon a small male kitten. You were nice enough to give it a few pets, but the kitten demands more petting. The kitten is more than willing to follow you wherever you go, it just requires a name, petting, food, and love.**

**Do you accept?**

**< Yes>**

**< No>**

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a smile, Kara selected ** <Yes>, **and then inserted the name for the kitten.

**[You have unlocked a new tab in your Menu!]**

**[Streaky is now your Pet!]**

Kara gently picked up the newly named kitten in her arms. Streaky’s blue eyes looked up at her.

“Nice to meet you again Streaky.” Kara scratched Streaky between the ears, who closed his eyes in content.

_“Mrowww”_

“Come on. Let’s go do some quests.”

With that, Kara walked out of the alleyway, and walked towards the farm she had spotted earlier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes chapter 3. I know things are moving slow, bear with me please! If you have any ideas you want to share, or any questions, please let me know!


	4. Pets and the Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara's second quest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here is chapter 3! Hope you like it! Apologies for grammar and spelling mistakes.

As she walked towards the farm, Kara kept petting Streaky absentmindedly. The orange tabby was more than happy to curl up in her arms.

During the first couple of days of the beta, Kara had spent hours roaming  Town of Beginnings  and had stumbled upon the little kitten on her third day. The little kitten, Streaky, had been her first true companion and had been with her til the end of the beta. Streaky had provided comfort, and been an amazing asset during her adventures. Streaky during the beta, had been able to find secret passages in dungeons, catch certain types of small creatures and even fight with her by making enemies stumble. 

Pets in SAO’s Beta had been rare, according to the forum. From what Kara could remember, only ten people had been able to find pets, excluding her. There had been 4 different types of dragon pets that could be found in dungeons filled with traps. There had been 3 pet dogs that people found, each a different breed. And the last three players had all somehow found pet rats.

Once you found a pet, you were to feed them and care for them, and then they would grow to a reasonable size, in which they could help you fight. Streaky had grown to the size of a medium sized dog, reaching just above her hips, something Kara had been surprised by. 

As she walked, Kara appreciated the small size of Streaky, finding the little kitten absolutely adorable. 

Looking ahead, she spotted more small buildings around the farm. A silo, stable, and farmhouse were now surrounding a red painted barn.

“Well that’s new. They certainly did some research, didn’t they Streaky?” Kara mused, picking up Streaky and gently placing him on her left shoulder, where he quickly made himself comfortable.

During the beta, it had been easy to carry Streaky on her shoulder when he had been little. Good to see they kept that in.

_ “Mrooww”  _ Streaky’s blue eyes eyed the farm.

Kara kept walking closer to the barn, where she eventually heard some voices coming from. Streaky let out a low growl, his short fur standing up slightly. 

“It’s okay, Streaky.” Kara said in a low comforting voice, reaching up with her right hand to scratch between his small ears. Streaky’s fur settled.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘HE RAN AWAY’?!” An angry male voice reached her ears.

“H-he s-said he would sh-ow you t-hat he really is a m-man now.” A feeble woman’s voice responded.

“THAT STUPID BOY! DOESN'T HE KNOW THAT THE BOARS COULD KILL HIM?! DAMMIT!” With a harsh shove, the barn door flew open, and out came an old looking man with a cane. “Go get me my sword, Evelyn.”

“Dear, you can’t! Those boars are really fast and with your lim-” An equally old woman came up behind him.

“I DON’T CARE! I AM GOING AFTER HIM!”

“Please don’t!” The woman pleaded, tears dripping down her face

“Perhaps I may be of assistance?” Kara calmly spoke up, surprising the two elderly NPC’s who turned to look at her.

The man sighed deeply. “Girl, those boars are dangerous! They charge at you in a pack and don’t stop attacking you until you're dead!”

“I’m aware, sir. Please, let me help you.” Kara said firmly. Streaky meowed.

The elderly man looked troubled. The woman came up behind him. “Please Samuel, let her help. We need Nolan to come back safe and sound.”

The man sighed. “Alright fine! Evelyn go get my sword and give it to her.”

The woman headed back towards the farmhouse house that was next to the barn, walking as fast as she could.

Kara heard a  _ Ding! _ , then a new tab appeared in her vision.

**\-------------------------------------------------------------**

**< <Quest Found!>>**

**< Quest: The Boy>**

**Samuel (49) and Evelyn (48), parents of 11 year old Nolan were shocked and afraid to find out that their son ran away in order to prove himself. Samuel, who has a limp, said he would go after Nolan, much to Evelyn’s worry. You intervened, asking if you may help. They hope Nolan will be returned safe and sound.**

**Rewards:**

**Samuel’s Longsword (Lvl 1 Weapon: 20 Attack Damage)**

**200 Kol**

**100 Experience Points(XP)**

**Will you carry out this Quest fully?**

**< Yes>**

**< No>**

**\----------------------------------------------------------------------**

Kara quickly selected  **< Yes>** and her eyes glanced at the ingame clock.  **4:50 PM.** Then she closed it.

“Where did Nolan go?” Kara asked the elderly male NPC, as the man walked towards the farm house where he sat down on the front steps, propping his cane beside himself. 

“Most likely towards the outskirts of the Northern District, past the walls. There tend to be a lot of boars there around this time. And the stupid boy took just a knife.” The man sighed shakily, as if holding back tears. The man looked her dead in the eye. “Please, just bring me my boy.”

The door to the farm house opened, and Evelyn walked out carrying a sword in its scabbard. Evelyn walked down the small steps. Evelyn handed the sword to Kara. “Here. Please, bring us our son back.” 

Kara gently took the longsword and placed the scabbard around her back, maneuvering around Streaky. She fixed the scabbard so that it was comfortable. 

“I will bring him back.” 

With that Kara rushed towards the exit of the Northern District, Streaky bouncing up and down on her shoulder, clawing clinging to the leather of her armor.

It took her 15 minutes to reach the exit, according to the ingame clock.  **5:05 PM**

Town of Beginnings was surrounded by strong walls, and a barrier that didn't allow monsters to enter the town by either of its exits. That is what makes the  Town of Beginnings  a  **< Safe Zone>.**

As she exited the district, she looked around the wide field, spotted some  **< <Wild Boars>>** in the distance to her right.

_ “Mroowww”  _ Streaky’s meow caught Kara’s attention. She looked at Streaky, who was facing to his left. She turned and saw two figures. 

One was a male player with a cursor above him, and the other was a little boy, no cursor. 

An NPC. And they were being charged by  **< <Wild Boars>>.**

The male player didn’t have a weapon, and was merely dodging the creatures, moving the NPC with him.

“Lets go Streaky.” 

With that Kara charged, Streaky yowling as he clung to her armor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! If you have any ideas for any type of quest, or if you have any questions, let me know!  
> Next chapter: we meet a new character.  
> Also, to anybody who is not a gamer, are there certain things you would like me to clarify for future chapters? Like certains words or acronyms?


	5. You Have a New Friend!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara completes her second quest, and she makes a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Hope you are all doing well, staying safe and cautious during these times. Personally, I am typing this story every day, wishing things to get better, and trying to stay distracted from the outside world. So yeah, not too hopeful.
> 
> So, just a heads up, I have only seen Supergirl, and none of the other shows. There might be some references to the other CW shows, thanks to the power of google, but this story mostly focuses on Kara. Some characters from the other shows will show up, just not too sure on exactly who. I'm making up this story as I go people!
> 
> Now, while I haven't seen the other shows, I do know an actor for the Flash had died in April. So, I dedicate this chapter to Logan Williams. Rest in peace.

There were 7 **< <Wild Boars>>** surrounding the two, Kara counted as she got closer to them.

**< <Wild Boars>>** were monsters that, once disturbed, would chase you in packs, and didn't let up unless you killed them, or they killed you. They were rather big creatures for being such a low-level monster, their height about four feet tall. Thick, brown hide protected the monster, with its underbelly being its major weak point. Their strong tusks and hide could be collected and used for potions, armor, and even be made into a knife by a **< <Blacksmith>>**

Once she was even closer, her blue eyes met the light brown eyes of the male player, before she shifted her sight to the closest monster.

Drawing the longsword from her back, she sliced the underbelly of one of the **< <Wild Boar>>, **a red line appearing on its body. It shrieked in pain, catching the attention of its pack. They all turned to look at her, their eyes glowing red. They immediately began to charge at her.

Her eyes caught sight of each health bar. The **< <Wild Boars>>** had a full health bar of **< 200 HP> **(minus the one she had struck) and there were 7 of them. And her sword only did 20 attack damage.

With a feral grin, she shouted. “Come on then!” They roared at her.

She danced around them, her sword slicing their underbellies as they ran around her. She struck one, then dodged the attack from behind her. She watched as more red lines appeared on their bodies. Her sword became a blur. 

Streaky was still on her shoulder, adjusting himself whenever she attacked with her weapon. The kitten meowed encouragement.

Kara was so focused on the monsters, it surprised her when one shattered into thousands of polygon shards. She eyed their health bars, which were quite low.

She sliced another, it shattered into thousands of polygon shards.

She kept attacking until the last one shattered. 

She heard multiple _Dings!_ As several tabs made their appearance in her vision

**[x10 Wild Boar Tusk]**

**[x4 Wild Boar Hide]**

**[210/1,000 XP Gained!]**

**[210/3,000,000 Agility]**

**[210/3,000,000 Strength]**

**[140/3,000,000 Luck]**

**[140/3,000,000 Speed]**

**[100/3,000,000 Charisma]**

**[140/3,000,000 Defense]**

Kara raised an eyebrow at the 3 million. In the beta, the max had been at 1 million and none of the beta testers had come close to maxing out any of their stats.

“That was so cool!” Kara heard the little boy yell, making her draw her eyes away from the tabs. Shaking her head, she disregarded the change. She returned the sword to its scabbard.

She walked up to the two, Streaky meowing lowly in hello. 

She eyed the little kid, who was shorter than her, lanky and had short blonde hair and blue eyes. The little kid was clad in a green tunic, brown pants, and brown shoes The player next to him was a couple inches taller than her, had short dark brown hair, light brown eyes, and an easy smile. The player waved at her. He was wearing armor that was the same as hers. He even had the same red long sleeve shirt underneath the leather chestplate.

“Well, thank you. Are you Nolan, by any chance?” Kara asked the little boy, who nodded.

“Your parents are really worried about you.”

The boy looked down in shame. “They are?”

“They are, especially your dad.”

“That's a lie. He doesn't care.” The boy grumbled.

“Not a lie. He was gonna come after you, but you know why he can’t.” Kara raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, I know. I-I just wanted to kill one boar, prove that I am a man.” Nolan said firmly, and Kara eyed the knife strapped to his pants.

Well then.

“Well, I wouldn’t call myself a man and I’m older than you.” The player spoke up.

Nolan looked up at the player. Kara tilted her head, not noticing Streaky doing the same.

“There are a lot of things that make up a man, and killing a boar doesn't have to be one of them. Did your dad tell you that in order to be a man, you have to kill a boar?” The player asked.

Nolan looked thoughtful for a second before speaking up. “Uh no. He said that I have to take care of mom, and help around the farm a lot.”

“Who told you that you had to kill a boar to be a man then?” Kara asked curiously. Nolan turned to Kara.

“My uncle Matthew. He’s a hunter.”

“I see.” Kara sighed. “Your uncle has a lot of experience hunting animals, while you don’t. It was dangerous for you to come out here on your own with only a knife.” 

“I know.” The boy whispered. “I’m lucky you were here.” Nolan turned towards the players.

The male player clapped his hands together. “I’m just glad we’re all fine. How about we bring you back to your parents?” The player gave Kara a questioning look. Kara just shrugged, not against having the player hanging around.

Nolan nodded.

They made their way through the wide field, heading towards the North District. 

“Also, Miss, uh could I pet your cat?” Nolan asked, looking at Streaky who eyed him suspiciously.

“What do you say Streaky?” Kara grinned at Streaky who grumbled, but didn’t fight her as she removed him from her shoulder, allowing Nolan to pet the cat gently.

“He’s so cute.” Nolan gushed, petting the Streaky’s back. 

“That he is.”

Kara placed Streaky back on her left shoulder once Nolan was done petting him.

They continued their walk in silence, a silence that was broken by Nolan a couple of times. The little boy sure was a talker.

Kara opened her menu and looked at the ingame clock, which read **5:35 PM,** then closed it **.** Her action went ignored by Nolan, but the male player gave her a confused look.

They reached Samuel’s and Evelyn’s farm house, where both adults were waiting on the front steps.

Nolan ran towards them and they had their touching reunion, one Kara looked away from. The male player just smiled happily at the trio.

Samuel came up to them, cane in hand. “Thank you so much for bringing him back. Here, I know it’s not much, but it is what I can spare.” The man gave Kara the **< 200 Kol>**.

_DIng!_

**[200 Kol received!]**

“And you can keep the sword as well, I am well past my prime, and you sure made good use of it. I am sure you will use it more than I do.” 

Kara heard four more _Dings!_

**[New weapon acquired!]**

**[Weapons tab unlocked!]**

**[310/1,000 XP]**

**[Quest Completed!]**

  
  


“Thank you, sir. You are very kind. I wish your family the best.” Kara smiled at Samuel. “I will be on my way now. Take care.” Kara turned to exit the property, the male player following behind her. They were a few feet away from the farm when they heard a voice.

“Wait! Miss! Miss!” Kara heard Nolan’s voice reach her eyes. She turned in surprise, seeing Nolan run up with a bag in his hands. “Nolan?” 

Once a quest was completed, an NPC never trailed after her during the beta. Odd. 

“Miss, here.” Nolan extended the bag out towards her. Kara took it. “It’s food for your cat. Thank you for saving me.”

_Ding!_

**[x10 Cat Food]**

Nolan headed back towards her father's farm. 

“You’re welcome.” Kara muttered in disbelief. 

_“MROW.”_ Streaky meowed loudly, making Kara grimace. “Yeah yeah, I’ll give ya food.”

“It’s crazy.” Kara turned to face the male player. “To think those three are just NPC’s. They showed so much emotion when we brought Nolan back.”

“They certainly improved that.” Kara said, bringing Streaky down into her arms, where he settled comfortably.

They continued walking, with the male player following Kara’s lead. Kara was heading back towards the outskirts of the Northern District, wanting to fight more **< <Wild Boars>>** now that she had a sword.

“....You were a beta tester?” The brown haired player asked, surprise clear in his voice.

“Why do you sound surprised?” Kara raised her eyebrow. Streaky grumbled, blue eyes looking at the male player.

“I thought it was adults that were chosen for the beta test.” 

“Well, the game is aimed towards teenagers, and the majority of the beta testers had been teenagers. I had to have my guardian sign a form in order for me to be a beta tester. There had been some adults chosen for the beta test though.” 

“Oh. I guess I just didn’t do enough research.” The player sighed. “Would’ve been cool to play the beta.”

They kept walking until they reached the exit. They exited the district back into the wide fields.

Kara looked out towards the field, seeing no **< <Wild Boars>>. **

“Looks like they haven’t respawned yet.” Kara muttered. “Oh well. Streaky, want some food?”

_“Mrow! Mrowww! Mrow!”_

“Okay okay, I get it, you’re very hungry.”

Kara sat down on the grass, placing Streaky beside her. She opened her menu, eyeing the time **6:00PM.** She tapped on **[Inventory]** and chose **< x1 Cat Food>**, it spawned in her hand as cat kibble in a small bowl.

“Here you go.” Kara placed it in front of Streaky, who immediately started to eat. Kara stared out towards the wide fields, paying the male player no mind. There was silence for a few seconds, before the male player spoke.

“So uh how do you open the menu? I haven’t figured it out for the past two hours.” The male player looked sheepish when she turned to look at him.

“You’ve been playing for two hours but you haven't figured out how to open the menu? Do you even have a weapon?” Kara said incredulously. 

“Hey, it's not like I can Alt f4 it.” The male player said defensively.

“True. Anyway, just bring your right hand up, extend your pointer finger, and swing down.” Kara did the usual motion in opening her menu.

“Okay.” The brown haired player copied her movements. “Huh. That worked. I was using my whole hand earlier, guess that’s why it wasn’t opening. Hey, uh, why are some of my tabs greyed out?”

“Some of it is greyed out when you start. The more you play, the more tabs you unlock, or you are able to get a new tab. Like If you are able to find a pet you get a new tab, or if you get a quest, your quest log is unlocked. If you get a weapon, your weapons tab is unlocked, and so on.”

“Cool. Is there a way to send friend requests?” The brown haired players asked.

“Yeah, it’s one of the tabs further down. Having friends in SAO allows you to see if they are still playing, or where they are in SAO, although a friend can choose to block you if they want.” The brown haired player scrolled all the way down and sent a friend request to the player sitting beside him.

Kara heard a _Ding!_ And a new tab popped up.

**[You have a Friend Request!]**

“You want to be friends?” Kara asked, surprised. She was normally very cautious about who she friends online. Being one of the few girls who played video games for real, she was careful, although she didn't get any creepy vibes from the guy beside her.

“Well if it's okay with you. You really helped me out today just by showing me how to open the menu, and honestly, playing SAO is better than doing nothing at home. My best friend got a boyfriend, so she is spending a lot of time with him over the summer. And my guardian is working a lot soo.” The guy looked sheepish.

Kara could understand that. WIth a tap of her finger, she accepted the friend request.

With a _Ding!_ , both of them could see each other's player name.

**[Barry is now your friend!]**

“Well, nice to meet you Z-zor-el. Is that how you say it?” Barry questioned. 

“Yep. Nice to meet you too, Barry. I-is that your real name?” Kara asked. If that was his real name...

“Yeah why?”

“Is this your first RPG game?” 

“Yes.”

“I could tell. Normally you don’t use your real name.”

“Oh. Is there a way I can change it?” Barry scrolled up to his character profile.

“Nope. Once you choose a name, you can’t change it. You didn't read the fine print, did you?” Kara asked, amusement clear in her voice.

“No.” Barry sighed, shoulders slumped.

“Well, at least its not some stupid player name like ballsdeep69.”

“People really name themselves that?” 

“Well, it’s either a name they want to troll people with, or placeholder until they come up with a better name. I feel slightly bad for whoever names themselves with a dumb name, not realizing that they won’t be able to change it.” Kara chuckled darkly. She heard the shattering effect, making her look towards Streaky, who licked his lips. He had finished his food, and the bowl had shattered. Streaky crawled onto her lap, allowing Kara to start petting him, making him purr. 

“If anybody asks, I’ll just say it’s a nickname for Bartholomew. ” Barry shrugged. He opened his menu. “Hmm it’s **6:10.** I’m gonna go now, I’m gonna have dinner soon. Uhh how do I-”

“-Go to your character profile, and there should be the log out button.” Kara interrupted.

“Hmm. It’s there, but it’s greyed out. Do I need to unlock it?” Barry asked, finger tapping his logout button.

Kara furrowed her eyebrows. “It should be available.” 

Kara pulled up her menu, and entered **[Character Profile]** , and like Barry had said, the **[Log out]** button was greyed out. “That’s odd. ”

“Can’t I log off just by taking off the NerveGear?” Barry tried reaching around his head and doing a pulling motion.

“Once we login, we can't control our real body. The NerveGear blocks every movement command from our brain so our real bodies don’t move around while we play. It’s a way of preventing injury.” Kara explained. “But you can be logged out if someone takes the helmet off your body. You’ll have a headache for days though.” 

“Darn. Nobody will be home til 7.” Barry sighed, closing his menu.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will be fi-”

Streaky hissed.

Then they were transported by a blue flash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. Let me know if you have any questions or ideas!


	6. Main Quest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Main Quest is given.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, one of the tags is -->Lex is an *ssh*ole  
> I know it's a short one, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.  
> Read on!

Kara blinked furiously and then realized she was standing with Streaky in her arms, who mewed uneasily. She looked around herself, realizing she was back in the large courtyard where she had first spawned. 

“Why are we back here?” Barry asked next to her. More and more players were being transported into the large courtyard. Kara could see the blue flashes as more people were transported. 

“I don’t know. Maybe to give an announcement to everyone?” Kara speculated. _ ‘But still, 10,000 players had bought the game, do they really expect all of us to fit here?’ _

They heard the sound effect of the transport cease a few seconds later, with most of the players now being shoulder to shoulder. Then a loud  _ beeping! _ was heard by every player. Kara looked up into the sky, which was no longer a beautiful blue, but instead, a blood red. 

A  **[WARNING]** sign appeared before red liquid began to drop down. 

Kara could feel her fear rising, and started to pet Streaky, who started to purr loudly, wanting to comfort her.

The red liquid shifts in the air, before turning green, and then taking the form of a green cloaked figure. A large green cloaked figure.

**_“Welcome to my world players! My world of Sword Art Online!”_ ** The voice of mechanical, cold.  **_“My name is Lex Luthor and from now on, I am the god of this world! And by now, I’m sure several of you have noticed that the logout isn't working, but that is no mistake. It is not a defect.”_ **

_ ‘Not a defect?!’ _ Kara screams internally. With no way to log out, how would she get back into the real world?

**_“It is a feature of this game. You cannot log out of SAO yourselves, nor can anyone on the outside log you out. Should anyone try to shut down the NerveGear or remove it from a player's head, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying the player’s brain and ending their life.”_ **

Kara swallowed hard. From everything she had read on the NerveGear, what was being said was certainly possible. There had been safety precautions put into place, but with Lex Luthor being the CEO of LuthorCorp, he certainly had the power and intellect to remove them. 

**_“Unfortunately, several players had their NerveGear removed by their friends or family, who had ignored my warning. As a result, 200 players are now gone forever, from both Aincrad and the real world.”_ **

_ ‘200 dead?! Aincrad? That’s what you call it?’  _ Kara asked internally. The whole castle that Sword Art Online took place in, never had a name during the beta. 

The cloaked figure of Lex Luthor reached out in front of him, where large tabs rose up.

**_“As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting all of this, including the ways the 200 players have died. You can all assume that the danger of having your NerveGear has lowered.”_ **

Kara eyed the tabs, recognizing some broadcasts. Catco, Daily Planet, etc. 

**_“As of 6:15 PM on June 26 2030, your main quest is to fight your way up the floors. Defeat the bosses on each floor, and once you reach the 100th floor and defeat the 100th boss, will you be able to log out. Clear the game, and you will be returned to the real world.”_ **

His cloak began to turn into smoke. 

**_‘There is one thing I want you all to remember clearly. There is no longer any way to revive someone in game. If your health reaches zero in SAO, you die in the real world.”_ **

He began to disappear. 

**_“I wish you all luck on your quest.”_ **

He was gone. The blood red sky turned back into its beautiful blue.

All 9,800 players were dead silent that you could hear a pin drop.

Then, chaos ensued. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all liked the sneak peek yesterday.  
> Sooo, the anime of SAO does a bit of a time jump after this, so I'm not sure if I may do the same. I'm thinking of detailing Kara's numerous quests, and how things move forwards. IDK let me know what you guys think


	7. Biomax and Tess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We follow two other characters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you are all doing well!  
> So, originally I was gonna have these two characters enter the story later on, but you all can thank feifei08 for giving me an idea! As always, please let me know if you spot any spelling or grammar mistakes!  
> Read on!

**June 26 2030**

**Outside the Southern District**

**Time 5:27 PM**

Lena Luthor was the type of person who studied and went to the library in her spare time. She was the perfect student, the one everyone envied. She was an intellectual, calculative, confident…….

….that she sucked when it came to video games.

The  **< <Wild Boar>>** knocked her on her ass, her  **< Rapier lvl 1> ** having bounced off its brown hide. She rolled to her left to avoid its attack.

“Lena!” The  **< <Wild Boar>>** was slashed in it underbelly by another sword and then it shattered into thousands of polygons, and a hand reached out to her.

Lena eyed her upper left where she saw her health.

**< <Tess Mercer>>**

**Lvl 1**

**HP 120/150**

“I had it, Jack.” Lena sighed, reaching up to take his hand and was pulled up. She stood up, placing her rapier back in its sheath around her waist. She was clad in a green long sleeve underneath a leather chestplate, with her hands in brown leather fingerless gloves, and leather bracers on her forearms. She wore form fitting black pants, and brown leather boots. Her avatar was clad in the same armor as her best friend with just a few differences, with his long sleeve being a dark blue.

“Jack who? My dear, it’s Biomax.” Her best friend,  _ Jack,  _ smirked teasingly. “Tess Mercer, you seem to be struggling with that rapier.”

“Oh god, please no.” Lena groaned.

“We are other people here, Tess. It’s a role playing game!” Jack put his own weapon back in its sheath, which was around his waist.

“I’m aware, but I swear, if you start speaking like some shakespearean character, I’ll logout.” Lena threatened.

Jack chuckled. “Okay okay. Besides, if you do log out, I’ll just log out right after you and bother you even more.”

Lena rolled her eyes and looked out towards the vast fields.

Jack brought out his menu. “It’s only  **5:30** , we could kill a couple more monsters before we leave to eat some food. I’m sure Alice will have some food ready by 6.”

“Sounds good.”

They had been fighting 5  **< <Wild Boars>>** outside the southern district of the Town of Beginnings for items and experience (XP), which  _ Biomax  _ had gotten since he had dealt the finishing blow to all the monsters.

Lena looked towards the sky, which was a beautiful blue, with a few clouds passing through.

Lena was impressed to say the least. The mannerisms of the boars had been astounding, along with the Non-Player Characters (NPC’s) in the town. The NPC’s facial expressions, voice, actions, had all made Lena believe they had been real players a couple of times over the last hour.

When Lex had told her that he was planning on creating a VRMMORPG game and a new gaming console, the first thing Lena had done was research what that acronym meant, and then asked for every detail from Lex. Lena didn't have any interest in playing it, as she had been too caught up in classes and exams, but had been interested in the science behind the NerveGear. 

From what she had learned from Lex, the NerveGear was exceptional. 

It was capable of sending a person to a whole other body into a new world, with the same senses as their real body. And with the games additional aid, players could improve themselves. From what she had seen of the Beta test, there had been times where physics was launched out the window.

Lena looked down at her hands and clenched them.

It was  _ amazing _ .

When she had realized the full functions of the NerveGear, she had suggested it be used for people with disabilities. For people who couldn't walk in the real world, for people who struggled to move on a daily basis, SAO could have given them an opportunity to gain something they had lost. 

Lex had said he would take that into consideration, saying there was much to do with the NerveGear at first before expanding on it further. The BETA test of SAO had been a success, but even then, Lena didn't have interest in playing. Lex hadn’t even tried to make her play.

She glanced at Jack, who looked out towards the grassy fields.

Jack Spheer, her best friend of two years, was the one who convinced her to play with him after he had asked for two NerveGears and two copies of SAO from Lex, who unexpectedly, gave them to him. Lena had always thought that her brother had disliked Jack, for whatever reason, so that had been a surprise. Apparently Jack had told Lex that he wanted to play with his girlfriend. 

Lena snorted at that thought. Jack was as gay as they come. 

Lena had gone over to Jack’s mansion, not feeling comfortable leaving her motionless body to the likes of Lillian. Jack’s parents, being the CEO and CFO of Spheerical Industries, were out, as usual. The only ones at the mansion were the staff that looked after the mansion.

It was an interesting process to log in.The NerveGear had required them to pat themselves down around their body, and had scanned their faces.

Signing into SAO and making her avatar had been difficult. The official game allowed players to configure their own avatars to a certain degree. There had been the ability to play as the opposite gender, play with a ridiculous hair color, but there had been some options that had been removed.

The change in height had been removed, something Lena had realized. She had read some of the feedback from the beta testers, about how changing their height had led to weird disturbances in their depth perception. That, and a lot of tripping.

The option to enhance or change certain features had been removed as well. That option had consisted of enlarging certain parts of the body, or the face. According to some beta testers, trolls had taken advantage of that option to do a lot of trolling and a lot of inappropriate acts. 

There had been a group of beta testers that had been so pissed off at the troll players, that they had transported the troll players to the ingame jail, where their menu was inaccessible for an hour. All Beta testers were made aware of the troll players usernames, and they would keep transporting the trolls to the ingame jail. Trolls had been transported to the ingame jail at least 70 times over the course of the beta. Eventually, the trolls had given up.

Lena smirked in amusement. Lex had laughed so hard reading that incident report.

Lena had opted to keep her avatar as close to her real body, seeing no reason to change it. Jack had also opted to keep his avatar as close to his real body, but he had jokingly said he had been tempted to change his hair color to the colors of the rainbow.

Lena sighed deeply, inhaling the virtual air, stretching her arms above her. “Well, lets go kill some boars.”

“Let us go, my fair lady.” 

Lena groaned.

They continued fighting boars until they were eventually transported by a blue flash. 

Lena blinked furiously, realizing that she was now in the large courtyard in Town of Beginnings, where she had first spawned. She spotted Jack to her right who was looking around as well.

“Why were we transported back here?” Lena mused out loud. Jack just shrugged.

Lena could hear the sounds of more players being transported. It went on for a few seconds before it stopped. She could hear players talking around her.

Then she could hear a loud  _ Beeping!  _ above her, making her look up,seeing that the sky was now a blood red, and saw a large  **[WARNING]** sign. She gasped as she saw red liquid begin to drip down in midair.

“What’s happening?!” Jack whispered frantically.

“I don’t know!” Lena hissed, feeling fear build up.

The red liquid shifted, starting to turn green. The now green liquid stretched out until it took the form of a green cloaked figure. 

**_“Welcome to my world players! My world of Sword Art Online!”_ ** The voice was loud, echoing throughout the courtyard.  **_“My name is Lex Luthor and from now on, I am the god of this world! And by now, I’m sure several of you have noticed that the logout isn't working, but that is no mistake. It is not a defect.”_ **

“W-what?” Lena whispered, before quickly opening her  **< Menu>** and opening her  **[Character Profile]** and saw that the  **[Logout]** option was greyed out. Her hand shook.

**_“It is a feature of this game. You cannot log out of SAO yourselves, nor can anyone on the outside log you out. Should anyone try to shut down the NerveGear or remove it from a player's head, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying the player’s brain and ending their life.”_ **

_ ‘A feature?!”  _ Lena felt horrified by what she was hearing

“That's not possible! Is it?!” Jack looked at her, eyes wide.

“It is. With the way the NerveGear was designed-” Lena whispered hurriedly before the loud voice of her brother cut her off.

**_“Unfortunately, several players had their NerveGear removed by their friends or family, who had ignored my warning. As a result, 200 players are now gone forever, from both Aincrad and the real world.”_ **

Lena heard gasps from all around her. _ ‘200 dead?! All those people. My god Lex, why?!’ _

This couldn't be her brother, could it?

The cloaked figure reached out his hands, where large tabs appeared showing news broadcasts.

**_“As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting all of this, including the ways the 200 players have died. You can all assume that the danger of having your NerveGear has lowered.”_ **

Lena looked closely at the tabs, recognizing a few based in Metropolis.

**_“As of 6:15PM on June 26 2030, your main quest is to fight your way up the floors. Defeat the bosses on each floor, and once you reach the 100th floor and defeat the 100th boss, will you be able to log out. Clear the game, and you will be returned to the real world.”_ **

His cloak began to turn into smoke.

**_‘There is one thing I want you all to remember clearly. There is no longer any way to revive someone in game. If your health reaches zero in SAO, you die in the real world.”_ **

His figure began to disappear.

**_“I wish you all luck on your quest.”_ **

With that, he was gone. The blood red sky turned back into its beautiful blue.

Everyone around her was dead quiet.

_ ‘Why? Why did you do this Lex?!’ _

Then, chaos ensued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any ideas or questions let me know!


	8. Fear and Anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more background info on Kara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is doing well! Here is a new chapter for you guys, enjoy!

For Kara, fear and anger had gone hand in hand growing up, 

As a toddler, she had fallen in her parents backyard falling on her face, having been tripped by a brick. She had cried at first, feeling her blood drip down her face and onto the ground, but after seeing what made her trip, she had thrown the brick in anger. Thankfully, she hadn’t hit anyone, but that incident made her parents aware of her anger. 

Elementary school had been a rough time for everyone. Kara had not understood why it was wrong to feel such anger, why it was wrong to lash out. Her parents had struggled to explain it to her, but after she had snapped and accidentally hurt someone, she understood. 

Middle School was a bit easier. Kara had been able to clamp down on her anger, finding other ways to release them. She had joined the track team, did workouts everyday, played video games and she had been fine.

Then everything wasn’t fine.

One day, her parents had left to attend a science convention early in the morning, in a city a few miles outside Midvale. It had been a school day, so understandably, they had been firm on not letting her go with th. Kara hadn’t cared for school, since she found the classes to be easy and useless. Despite arguing with her parents for a half hour, they hadn’t budged, and Kara had gone to her room, calling her parents terrible things. Her 13 year old self didn't go to school that day, in a pity attempt of teenage rebellion. 

Kara had felt the anger change shift into shame throughout that day. She had always been the type to fear her parents dissapointment, despite knowing just how understanding they were. 

She didn’t call them all day, wanting to apologize in person when they got back from the convention. They had planned on getting home around  **6PM.** When they didn't get home at that time, Kara had kept an eye on the clock in the kitchen, seeing hour after hour pass by, feeling her worry grow.

**7 PM**

**8 PM**

**9PM**

She had been tempted to call them, but her fear of hearing disappointment in their voices held her back. 

When  **9:33 PM** rolled around, she heard a knock on the front door. She recalled rushing to the front door, thinking that they were knocking because they had lost their keys and wanted her to open the door. It didn't register in her mind at the time that they could have called her instead.

She had opened the door, and instead of seeing her parents, she found her older cousin Clark Kent, on the front porch, a sympathetic look in his eyes.

_ “I’m sorry Kara, your parents, they, they were killed in a car crash.” _

She hadn't believed Clark at first, denying his words. Denying the fact that her parents were  _ gone.  _

_ “Your parents were killed in a car crash, by a drunk driver. I’m sorry darling.” _ The sympathetic voice of that police officer was one Kara would never forget. Officer Peck’s voice had been so nice and soft, but it didn't bring any comfort to Kara. Not even the Officer’s embrace.

That night had been a blur for Kara. She felt so many emotions that night that she had gone numb.

Clark had talked to the police officer and to so many other people; about Kara’s inheritance, life insurances, and so many other things that Kara blocked out. Kara did remember hearing the words Foster care. She also remembered Clark’s hesitancy in fighting for her.

Clark had been her only family left, and he abandoned her to the system.

Rage had been the only thing she felt for days. Days in the system had gone by fast. She struggled again in her classes at school, finding it hard to deal with the annoyance of her classmates around her, feeling bitter. 

She had snapped one day when one of her male classmates thought it was funny to grope her. She punched him in the mouth, and injured her hand on his teeth. She had been sent to the nurses office, where she met Eliza Danvers for the first time.

Eliza had been understanding, and listened to her rant as she fixed her hand. Somehow, Eliza had found out about her situation, and had offered to take her in, saying Kara would get along with her daughter Alex.

Kara had never been more at odds with her emotions.

The day Kara met Alex and Jeremiah was one of her fondest memories.

Jeremiah had been very kind to her, taking as much time off work to spend time with her. When he found out about her interest in video games, he had been the one to take her to a store to buy a new game console and different games.

Alex had been wary at first, but she had been nice. Alex was someone she had spent a lot of time playing video games with. Kara had been so happy to share her passion for video games. And when everyone was home, they spent time playing games together.

Her first year with the Danvers had been great but it didn't last. 

Jeremiah had been asked to move to a new place for his job, which he accepted. He would then visit every couple of months. 

Eliza would spend more time on her amazing work, after leaving her temporary job as a school nurse. 

As for Alex, Kara had struggled to understand why her adoptive sister suddenly began to hate her, but she figured it out eventually. Despite struggling in school with her anger due to her annoying classmates, Kara’s grades were beyond excellent. Eliza had been called by a school official who had suggested Kara could take her high school exams, graduate early and attend some college classes. Alex had been there for that conversation, and Kara definitely remembered the look in Alex’s eyes.

So Kara stopped answering correctly in her math and science classes, flunked the high school exams, and started focusing more on history and english. She had also focused more of her time playing video games. She wouldn't attend college classes at the age of 14.

Kara would give the spot light to Alex, who didn't change her attitude towards Kara.

Kara didn't tell Eliza why, but she always thought Eliza probably figured it out. 

Once she entered Midvale High, the bullying started. It had consisted of being shoved into lockers, being tripped, being targeted during gym. One time she had actually been tripped and had fallen down a set of stairs, and it was then Kara had met Kenny, her first friend.

Kenny had been the one to take her to the nurse. Kenny had been the one Kara could trust other than Eliza. Having a friend had helped in tempering her anger.

When the BETA for SAO was announced, Kara had been so excited. The beta had been her escape, her safe haven. 

But now, looking up at the bright blue sky, after Lex Luthor had disappeared, she couldn't help but feel anger. 

Streaky purred in her arms.

Lex Luthor had trapped her in his game. A game that had been her paradise.

Kara couldn't help but feel pissed off. 

She could hear the voices of panicked players all around her. 

“He’s lying! It can't be true!”

“THE FUCK MAN!”

“We can’t be trapped in here!”

“What do we do?!” 

“I was supposed to visit my family tomorrow, oh god!”

“We’re all gonna die!”

Some of the players were quiet. Some of the more sensitive players were crying.

_ Ding! _

Then, something spawned in front of every player. 

A  **< Truth Mirror>**

Holding Streaky with her left arm, Kara reached out and grabbed the mirror, seeing her avatar’s reflection.

Every player was then engulfed by a bright blue light.


	9. To Another Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zor-El and Barry leave Town of Beginings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here is a new chapter. Read on!

Kara blinked furiously, the bright light having blinded her for a few seconds. She was still holding the mirror in her right hand. She looked in the mirror again to see her  _ herself _ . Not her avatar. Her bright blond hair was now a dirty blonde, her hair color in real life. Even her eyes had changed. She looked closely at herself in the mirror, seeing the scar on her right eyebrow. A scar she has in real life.

“Zor-El?” She heard Barry ask, before turning to look at him, seeing that his features had changed slightly. Overall, he looked about the same.

“Yeah it’s me, Barry.” Kara said, the mirror shattering in her hand. She heard some voices raise from the players around her.

“You're not a girl! The heck man!”

“You're a girl?!”

“You fuckin’ lied to me!”

“You’re a guy?!”

“The hell!”

“Who are you?!”

“Oh boy.” Kara sighed deeply, petting Streaky with her right hand, trying to keep herself calm with all the rising tension and the anger inside herself. She felt Streaky purr.

“What’s going on?” Barry got closer to her, glancing around.

“I’m thinking the  **< Truth Mirror>** changed everybody's appearance to their real bodies. So, those that chose to play with a female avatar but is, in reality, a guy, well, that doesn’t go well. And vice versa” Kara grimaced after she heard a yell.

“What do we do then?!” Barry asked frantically, hearing some rising voices, and seeing some players fleeing the large courtyard. They could both hear fights breaking out.

“I’m thinking we get out of here and head towards the next town over.” Kara began making her way out of the courtyard, towards the Northern District, Barry following close behind her. 

Once they were out of the courtyard, they began jogging through the streets of the Northern District, seeing some players along the way. Kara hugged Streaky close as she jogged.

“The Town of Beginnings is the largest town on this floor, but there are some towns and villages scattered throughout the entire floor. There was this quest in the beta where I helped out a blacksmith get some ore, and he crafted some gear for me free of charge. I was by myself, so I got quite a bit of armor. It’s not the strongest on this floor, but it’s better than the gear you can buy from the blacksmiths in the Southern District. I hope that quest is still available” Kara looked behind her. There were no players following them.

“What is the town called?” Barry asked.

“If it wasn’t changed, it’s called Stonewall. The town is surrounded by stone walls, so I guess that’s why it's called that.”

They jogged outside the district, where they stopped. They looked out towards the fields, where they spotted some  **< Wild Boars>** and saw the sun getting lower.

Kara brought up her  **< Menu>** with her right hand, and looked at the clock.  **6:50 PM**

“Looks like the sun is starting to set soon. More monsters spawn in the night time so we gotta hurry.”

Kara glanced at Barry. “Do you have a weapon?”

Barry shook his head.

“Okay, we’ll get you one when we get to the town, but for now, just run. Follow me and run. Don’t look back, we’ll most likely aggro some of the  **< Wild Boars>** ” With that Kara took off, following one of the trails that lead to the Northern part of the first floor, with Barry running behind her.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

“They’re right behind us!” Barry yelled, veering to the left to avoid the charge from a  **< Wild Boar>.**

“I KNOW BARRY!” Kara screamed, jumping to the right to avoid an attack, hugging Streaky, who yowled.

“I-is that it?!” Barry yelled, seeing tall walls in the distance, with torches lighting up the entrance to the town. They could hear the snorts of the  **< Wild Boars> ** behind them.

“Yes! It’s- oh  _ of course _ there’s a gate now!” Kara yelled in frustration. She strained her eyes to see if there was anyone that could open the gate to the town. She looked frantically until she spotted some guards above the gate. 

Kara raised her right hand, waving frantically. “Hey! Open the gate! Open the gate!”

She saw some movement before she saw the gate raise about a meter in height. It wasn't raised any higher.

“Get ready to duck and roll Barry!” Kara huffed.

They reached the gate, ducking under it and rolling to get away from the gate as it was lowered quickly.

Kara and Barry flinched as they saw the  **< Wild Boars>** charge at the metal gate, making the both of them fall to the ground.

“We made it.” Barry breathed, his hands holding himself up.

“Yeah.” Kara heard an annoyed meow, making her look down at Streaky who glared at her. “Sorry Streaky. I guess you're fed up with me hugging you huh?” Kara placed Streaky on the ground. 

Kara looked behind her, seeing a large set of doors, with a smaller door for people to pass though. “They definitely upped security for the town. In the beta, there was only a small gate to enter. Now they have a large metal gate, and a large set of wooden doors.”

Kara turned back towards the metal gate, where Streaky had walked closer to, hissing at the 7  **< Wild Boars>** , who huffed angrily, their red eyes glowing in the darkness.

“Streaky, stop taunting them.”

_ “Mroww” _

“Streaky.”

_ “MROWW!” _

“Streaky!”

Barry just looked on in amusement.

Streaky’s fur puffed up, his little body contorting in a defensive stance.

Kara just sighed. With Streaky being a kitten, it was best to let him do his thing. Much like real cats, ingame animals learned at their own pace.

Streaky kept hissing at the monsters.

“How long is he gonna be doing that?” Barry grinned.

“At least a few minutes.” Kara sighed, standing up. Kara moved towards the smaller door and turned the door knob, feeling it open.

Now that she was sure that they could enter, she closed the door and opened her  **< Menu>** and looked at the time.  **7:50 PM.**

“We may be a bit late to find the quest, but we should at least find where the  **< Blacksmith> ** shop is. I know where it was in the beta, so I have a rough idea of where it is.” Kara closed her menu.

“Alright.” Barry nodded.

Kara looked towards Streaky who had stopped hissing, and who just looked smug, sitting in front of the gate. The  **< Wild Boars>** kept snorting.

Kara picked up Streaky, placing him on her left shoulder. “We get it. You are a tough kitty. C’mon, let's go Barry.”

Barry stood up and walked next to her. 

With a shared look, they opened the door and entered the town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any ideas or questions, let me know!


	10. Stonewall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zor-El and Barry enter the town of Stonewall, and find the quest they were looking for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a new chapter! Hope you are all doing well!
> 
> I justed wanted to thank everyone who has commented, gave kudos, and to everyone who is reading this in general!  
> I'm so happy so many of you are excited for this wacky crossover of mine!  
> Thank you so much! 
> 
> As always, if you spot any spelling or grammar mistakes let me know!  
> Read on!

Kara and Barry walked through the door, with Barry closing it behind them. 

“Woah.” Kara breathed in awe, her eyes being bombarded with a multitude of colors.

The town was bright, with torches glowing with a variety of colors in the streetlamps. Kara could hear music in the distance, and could hear NPC’s chatting amongst themselves. There were some NPC’s walking along the streets.

“Well, that’s probably why it’s called **< Stonewall>** .” Kara muttered under her breath, seeing two female NPC’s share a kiss on a bench. She looked away after seeing the kiss deepen, feeling her face heat up. She shook her head. _‘Focus, Kara.’_

Streaky looked around as well, his ears twitching.

“Alright, so where should we go?” Barry asked, looking at the bright colored streets, spotting two male NPC’s holding hands as they walked. 

“Hmmm, there should be a town map nearby.” Kara walked further into the town, seeing a few shops open. Spotting a large wooden board further ahead, she walked towards it, Barry walking behind her.

“Here it is.” Kara looked at the map. Streaky tilted his head, blue eyes looking at the map as well.

**< Stonewall Map>**

The large wooden board held a large map of the town. Stone wall was divided in two districts, the Southern and Northern districts. The Southern district consisted of taverns, restaurants and the homes of NPC’s, while the Northern district was mostly **< Merchant> **shops and was where the most of trading was done. The town had two entrances, and they had entered the town from the south. 

“Looks like the **< Blacksmith>** shop is still in the Northern district. We are in the Southern district, so we’re gonna have to walk quite a bit.” Kara glanced at Barry, who was looking at the map intensely.

“Is there any way to get a copy of the map of the town?” Barry asked. Both of them then heard a _Ding!_ And a new tab appeared in their vision.

**[Map Updated!]**

“That answers that.” Barry brought up his menu. “Looks the same as the one on the board. Oh, it tells me where I am.”

“Well, it is a map. You wanna lead the way?” Kara gestured with her hand.

“Sure!” Barry walked on, leaving his map open. Kara walked next to him.

They walked together in silence, looking around at the town. NPC’s waved at them as they walked. Barry waved back, with Kara just smiling at the NPC’s.

“H-how are you feeling? With everything?” Barry glanced at Kara.

“Pissed off.” Kara grimaced, sighing deeply. “And shock, I guess. How, how are you feeling?”

Barry looked thoughtful. “I don’t know really. Disbelief, shock, and so many other things. I just don’t understand why someone like Lex would do this, you know?”

“He said it himself, that he’s the god of SAO. He has enough power in the real world, he’s a billionaire, yet he wanted to be a god. He’s just an egomaniac.” Kara huffed. 

“Hey, how do you think the people in the real world are reacting right now?” Barry asked suddenly.

Kara furrowed her eyebrows thoughtfully. “Our families may have contacted hospitals to see what they could do, since they can’t take the NerveGear off. Authorities may be searching for all the players that are logged in. Police are probably searching for Lex, but he probably vanished after the announcement. And, I’m thinking we’ll be moved out of our homes to some other location.”

“Why?” Barry asked curiously. 

“Think about it. Our bodies in real life will become malnourished since we aren't eating any food, or drinking water, or moving. We will all probably be attached to IV’s soon enough.” Kara said grimly. 

  
  
  


“I-I’m just worried about how my guardian and best friend are going to deal with all this, you know? I was supposed to be eating dinner by now.” Kara glanced at Barry, who seemed to slouch, and his eyes seemed to water slightly.

“We’ll get out of here.” Kara said confidently. Barry looked at her. “It’ll take long but we’ll get out of here. Once we level up, we should find other players in order to fight the 1st floor boss. It’s more dangerous now, but it’s possible. We just have to be more careful.”

“I hope it won’t take too long.” Barry muttered.

They continued walking, seeming to get closer to music.

“Well, they’re certainly partying.” Kara said in amusement. when they got to the center of the town. NPC’s were dancing and chatting, seemingly beyond happy. Some NPC’s were playing different instruments. 

“Lets go around.” Barry made his way through the crowd that was surrounding the dancing NPC’s, with Kara following close behind. Streaky huddled close to the left side of Kara’s face, unsettled by the large crowd. 

They made their way away from partying NPC’s.

They continued walking for a few more minutes before they finally reached the **< Blacksmith>** shop.

“We’re here.” Barry closed his menu.

Kara looked at the shop, seeing the torches by the front door glowing bright. “It’s open. That’s good.”

“Should we party up?” Barry inquired.

“We should, just in case we do get the quest.” Kara brought up her **< Menu>** and tapped on her **[Friend List],** then tapped on **[Party Request],** sending one to Barry **.** “You should have gotten a Party request.”

“Yep, got it.”

Kara heard a _Ding!_ Making her look to her upper left with her eyes, where she saw that Barry’s name was now under hers.

**< <Zor-El >> **

**Lvl 1**

**HP 150/150**

**< <Barry>>**

**Lvl 1**

**HP 150/150**

“Well, let's go in.” Kara walked to the door and opened it.

They walked further into the shop, seeing no NPC. They looked around the shop, seeing some weapons hanging along the walls, with a few weapons inside glass cases. There was an open door that seemed to lead to a basement. 

“Hello?! Anyone here?!” Kara yelled. Streaky cocked his head, his ears perking up.

“Hello?!” Barry asked.

A few seconds later, they heard a young female voice yell back, “I’ll be with you as soon as I can!”

Kara raised an eyebrow. “They changed the **< Blacksmith>** too, huh? She sounds about our age.”

“How was the **< Blacksmith>** in the beta?” Barry walked over to a glass case that held rapiers, looking at them curiously.

“He was an old man, but he was really strong looking. He was pretty awesome, and apparently he had killed a ferocious **< Dire Wolf> **in his ‘younger days’.” Kara walked over to a glass case that held a couple of knives. Streaky meowed, rubbing against the left side of her face.

“Let me guess, you’re hungry again.” Kara turned a little to her left to face Streaky, who reached out a paw, tapping her nose. 

_“Mroooooow.”_

“I’ll feed you once we get this quest okay?”

The orange tabby seemed to huff, dropping his paw back on her shoulder.

They both heard footsteps walking up the stairs.

“Hello there! How can I help you?” A redheaded girl, with bright amber eyes, who seemed around 16 years old appeared, clad in a long sleeve white tunic, with a pair of comfortable looking trousers clothing her legs. She appeared to be covered in some soot. The NPC walked closer to Kara, glancing at Streaky. Barry got closer to the two girls.

“Hi there.” Kara smiled at the NPC. “We were hoping to get some gear.”

The redhead seemed to avoid her gaze, although her cheeks seemed to flush. “Oh of course! Well, I have quite a few weapons you can try out. Do you have any preference?” 

“Well, the longsword is my prefered weapon.” Kara looked towards Barry. “What about you Barry?” 

The brunette looked around at the countless weapons for a second, then turned to look at the NPC. “I don’t know honestly. What would you suggest uh-”

“-Aloy.” The redhead then looked Barry up and down. “For you, I would suggest a rapier. You have a good height. Do you mind stretching your right arm in front of you?”

Barry stretched out his right arm.

“You have good arm reach as well. The rapier is typically used for thrusting attacks, and you should be able to avoid attacks rather easily, since you have long legs.” Aloy walked over to a wall where a few rapiers were on display. She picked up one that had a red hilt, and walked over to Barry, handing the brunette the weapon.

Barry looked confused. “I don’t even know how t-”

“-I can show you how to use it Barry, don’t worry.” Kara turned to the red head. “How much for the rapier?”

“A hun- I mean, 50 Kol.” Aloy walked over to a locked box that Kara hadn’t noticed, and opened it.

_DIng!_

**\------------------------------------------------------------**

**[Do you want to purchase <<Rapier Lvl1>> for 50 Kol?]**

**[Yes]**

**[No]**

**\------------------------------------------------------------**

Kara raised an eyebrow at the cheap price, then tapped on **[Yes]** ignoring the _DIng!_ , then tapped on **[Trade Request],** sending the newly purchased weapon to Barry, who placed the sheath around his waist. 

“Thanks Zor-El, I’ll pay you back.” Barry promised.

“Don’t worry about it.” Kara waved him off. 

“How about you, Zor-El? Any weapon caught your interest?” The NPC asked, turning to face the blonde.

“I was wondering if you had heard about any special ore around **< Stonewall>**?” Kara crossed her arms, hoping the quest was still available.

The NPC looked thoughtful. “There was this new ore that I have been trying to get, but the mineshaft where it was found was overrun by **< Bestial Bears>** a few weeks ago. A few hunters tried to get rid of them, but they were all killed. Many avoid that area now.”

“Where is this mineshaft located?” Kara asked.

“You cannot be thinking of going there!” Aloy looked shocked. “It’s too dangerous!”

“I’m sure it is, but we need strong weapons.” Kara said firmly. Barry nodded in agreement. Streaky meowed loudly .

The redhead shifted uncomfortably. “Alright, I’ll tell you where it is, on one condition.”

_‘That’s new’_ Kara thought before saying, “Alright.”

“You come back alive. I won’t be able to live with myself if I get you two killed.” 

_‘They really do seem like real people.’_ Kara looked at Aloy, who genuinely seemed scared. “We will come back alive. You have my word.” 

The NPC sighed deeply before speaking. “The mineshaft is located near **< Wiry Woods>** , about two hours away from **< Stonewall>, **towards the East. From what I heard from a few people, the ore should be a mixture of bright red and black.”

_Ding!_

**[Map Updated!]**

Aloy walked towards a wall that held a couple of pickaxes, and picked up two.

“The ore had been mined a bit before it was overrun, but the mineworkers had taken their gear with them when they fled from the ** <Bestial Bears>. **If you want to get as much ore as you can, you can use these pickaxes.”

Aloy handed them the pickaxes. Both players put the pickaxes away in their **[Inventory]**.

“Thank you for your help Aloy.” Kara looked into Aloy’s amber eyes. “When we come back, we’ll be sure to give you some ore as a thank you.”

Aloy looked away. “Be sure that you do come back alive.”

_Ding!_ A new tab appeared in Kara’s vision.

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**< <Quest Found!>>**

**< Quest: Ore to be MIned>**

**According to <Blacksmith> Aloy (16), there is a mineshaft located near <Wiry Woods>, towards the East of <Stonewall>, two hours away, where a new ore had been found. The ore is a mixture of bright red and black. The mineshaft had been overrun by <Bestial Bears> a few weeks ago, with mine workers taking their gear with them. Aloy had been gracious enough to lend you a pickaxe. A few hunters had tried killing the <Bestial Bears>, but they didn’t succeed. Aloy worries you will be killed, so be sure to return safe and sound, and bring along some ore for the poor girl.**

**Rewards:**

**??? Ore**

**x1 Pickaxe**

**1000 Kol**

**500 Experience Points(XP)**

**Will you carry out this Quest?**

**< Yes>**

**< No>**

**\--------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Kara tapped **[Yes]** , and saw Barry tap **[Yes]** as well.

“We will be on our way. Have a good night, Aloy.” Kara waved goodbye to the NPC, heading towards the exit. 

“Good night, Aloy.” Barry waved as well.

_“Mrow mroowww.”_ Streaky meowed.

“Good night you three! Be safe on your journey!” Aloy waved back.

The trio exited the shop.

“Where do we go now?” Barry asked, looking up at the sky, where he could see the ingame moon.

Kara brought up her **< Menu>** and looked at the time. **9 PM.**

“We should find some place to rest, like a tavern, so I guess we should head back to the Southern District. It’s dangerous to do the quest now. We could do it tomorrow or the day after. We have to do some training first, get you used to sword skills and all. ” Kara started to walk back.

“I uh don’t have Ko-” Barry started, following the blonde.

“-It’s fine, taverns tend to be rather cheap. Besides, I’m feeling hungry, weirdly enough.” 

“ _Mroowww.”_ Streaky pawed Kara’s nose.

“Yes Streaky, I know you’re hungry too.” Kara glanced at Streaky, before turning to Barry. “C’mon, let’s go Barry.”

“You’re the boss.” Barry grinned teasingly.

“Damn right.”

They made their way to the Southern District.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any quest ideas, question, or any idea really, let me know!


	11. Enter the Tavern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Zor-El chat, enter a tavern, then chat some more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Hope you are all doing well today!  
> Here is a new chapter. If you spot any spelling or grammar mistakes, let me know!  
> Read on!

“Was the quest different in the beta?” Barry asked, walking along the streets of Stonewall. They were walking towards the music again.

Kara thought for a few seconds. “Well, the location is the same, east of Stonewall, and at least the forest has a name now,  **< Wiry Woods>. ** There are some major changes. During the beta, there weren't any  **< Bestial Bears>** that took over the mineshaft, instead there was just an ill timed explosion that ended up blocking the entrance.  _ Then  _ **< Bestial Bears>** ended up attacking the workers, and they all fled. I ended up killing all the monsters, about 5, if I remember correctly. I had to find another way to get into the mineshaft, since the entrance wasn't an option.”

Kara took a pause for a second, then spoke again, voice grim. “Now though, since the  **< Bestial Bears>** attacked the workers while they were working, that leaves the entrance open which is good, but...there are some ways this quest could go wrong.”

Streaky purred, rubbing his head against the left side of her face.

Barry picked up on her tone. “Go on.”

“ **< Bestial Bears>** are a little bigger than brown bears and their attacks took about 40HP, and were kind of unpredictable in the beta. I had to fight them in the woods, where they would surround me like a pack of wolves. They were very smart. I remember one bear had feinted an attack, and then another bear struck me from behind, then another ended up knocking me over.”

Kara thought up of a few scenarios. “We could either end up fighting them in the mineshaft if they aren’t willing to leave, where it’s a closed space, and we could potentially get separated and/or cornered, and well….killed. We could lure them out to the woods, and stick together, and be beyond cautious about their movements. That's our best bet. Use the environment to our advantage, so we should scour the woods before aggroing them.”

“You thought a lot about this huh?” Barry looked impressed, albeit a bit scared.

“Haven't you played a game and planned out how you were gonna fight a boss or complete a certain mission?” Kara glanced at Barry, then ahead of her. 

Barry looked sheepish. “Well, I like more story based games, those where you choose a certain route, make choices, or mystery games. There was this game called Hidden Agenda that I played with Iris, where you had to solve a murder case, and it was very fun to play. It made me think a lot, you know? Connect the evidence, find out people's motives, it all made me decide that I wanted to do either forensics, or be an investigator.”

Kara nodded, absorbing his words. 

“I never really played any games where I had to fight with swords, or fight giant monsters, so I do owe you for bringing me along with you.” Barry finished saying.

“It’s nothing.” Kara could hear the music getting louder, and she spotted the crowd they had walked through earlier. “Follow me, I remember seeing a tavern this way.”

They continued to walk.

\-------------------------------------------------------

“Hello there!” An elderly woman NPC waved at the players as they entered the tavern. 

Barry and Kara looked around the tavern, seeing a few NPC’s having a late dinner, chatting amongst themselves. Wooden tables were spread out throughout the first floor. The elderly NPC was behind a wooden counter, with an open doorway behind her, that seemed to lead to a kitchen, according to the amazing smell. There were a few empty stools along the counter.

Kara could've sworn her stomach rumbled, but all she felt was a pinch in her stomach. It didn't feel like hunger though.

They walked towards the elderly NPC, smiling. Despite being an NPC, they couldn't help but see the NPC as a real person.

“Welcome! My name is Sally. How can I help you two?” The NPC asked kindly. The elderly woman was a little bit shorter than Kara, with greying hair in a top bun, and brown eyes. She was clad in a soft looking white tunic, with an apron on top.

Kara spoke up. “Lovely to meet you, Sally. I’m Zor-El and this is Barry.” Kara gestured to Barry, who grinned.

_ “Mrow!”  _ Streaky cut in.

“And this is Streaky.” Kara gestured to the tabby, who seemed to puff up. “Oh sorry, is it okay for Streaky to be in here?” Kara asked hurriedly. 

“It’s alright dear.” 

“Well, we were hoping to get some dinner and get two rooms for the night.” Kara said to the NPC, who nodded.

“Please take a seat you two, I’ll bring you some menus.” The NPC walked over to the other end of the counter.

“Thank you so much.” Both players said in unison, and they each took a seat on a stool. Streaky started to walk down Kara’s arm to sit on the counter, but Kara quickly put him on her lap.

“He can sit on the counter, dear. It’s no problem.” Sally said, placing two menus in front of the two.

“Are you sure?” Kara asked, scratching between Streaky’s ears, who closed his eyes in content.

“I’m sure. Please look through the menu, and let me know what you’d like.” Sally was then waved over by another NPC to a table on the other side of the floor.

Streaky meowed. “Okay, okay.” Kara placed him on the counter where he immediately sprawled out. 

Barry chuckled, before grabbing a menu and opening it. “Is  **< 10 Kol>** cheap?” 

“Pretty cheap, yeah.” Kara opened her own menu, seeing a few dinner options. “It feels weird to be hungry. It doesn’t even feel like hunger, but this body is like, asking for sustenance.”

Barry hummed. “What are you gonna get?” He asked after a few seconds.

“I don’t know. Probably just a bowl of spaghetti. It’s  **< 10 Kol>** .” Kara closed her menu, playing it on the counter. “You?”

“Rice with chicken for  **< 10 Kol>** .” Barry closed his menu. “I’ll pay you back for this.”

Kara ignored that, waving towards Sally, who quickly made her way back over to them, walking behind the counter. “Well, what would you like?”

_ Ding! _

A new tab appeared in their visions. Kara quickly chose the correct options, even choosing the rooms for the night and something more.

**_\--------------------------------------_ ** **\----------------------------**

**Sally’s Tavern**

**Please choose your meal:**

**[x1 Bowl of Spaghetti] [10 Kol]**

**[x1 Rice with Chicken] [10 Kol]**

**Additional services:**

**[x2 Rooms] [100 Kol total]**

**[x1 Empty Journal with pencil] [5 Kol]**

**Total: 125 Kol**

**NOTE: SInce you are currently in a party, the payment can be split, in order for each player to pay individually.**

**[Spilt?]**

**[Pay total]**

**\----------------------------------------------------------**

Kara chose  **[Pay Total]** .

Sally picked up the menus. “I'll be back with your meals, and the keys to your rooms.” Sally reached under the counter, placing a leather bound journal on the counter, with a pencil attached. “Here is your journal and pencil.”

“Thank you so much Sally.” Kara brought the journal closer to herself. 

_ Ding! _

**[x1 Empty Journal with Pencil]**

Sally made her way towards the kitchen. 

“Why did you buy a journal?” Barry asked, adjusting himself on the wooden stool.

Streaky pawed at Kara, bringing her hand closer to him, who started to rub his furry stomach. “One thing I noticed when I logged in, was that they didn't add a monster list. They didn't have one in the beta either. So many beta testers had suggested including a monster list in the feedback of the BETA, like the one in  **_Monster Hunter: World_ ** . Journals were cheap to buy in the beta as well, and many used them to write down the monsters they fought, their weak spots, attacks, everything. They would then share their findings with other players by transferring their words to other journals.”

Barry nodded.

“I remember that info brokers sprung up once journals started being used more than normal. There were many info brokers that would sell information on spawning locations, item locations, quest locations, skill locations, and other types of locations. Despite there being a forum, not everybody was willing to give their findings for free. There are two info brokers that I remember; Kat and Guardian. Kat was a pretty cool dude, he seemed shy on selling info to me, but he was one I trusted to sell me legit locations on items, and monster locations.”

Kara kept rubbing Streaky’s belly, who continued to purr, hugging Kara’s hand close to himself.

“Guardian was one who intimidated the heck out of me at first, since they had chosen a tall, muscular avatar, and had this deep rough voice, but after I kicked his butt in a duel, we became somewhat friends. Guardian was someone who sold me dungeon locations and quest locations. I wonder if they both logged in today.” Kara ended up muttering to herself.

“Well, if they were beta testers, I’m sure they would do better now. They know more about the game than most people.” Barry suggested.

“Well, they were definitely sensible people. They were always reasonable when it came to selling info. I’m mostly worried about those beta testers who think everything is exactly the same as the beta, then end up getting killed.” Kara sighed, distracting herself by looking at Streaky.

Barry frowned. “I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”

“Hopefully.”

They continued to wait for their food and the keys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions or ideas, let me know!  
> Thanks for reading!


	12. Eat and Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Barry eat, then sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Hope you are all doing well today!   
> Read on!

“Here are your meals!” Sally placed their meals in front of them.

“Thank you Sally.” Barry glanced at his food. It looked good.

“Thank you.” Kara took her hand off Streaky, who grumbled, but who remained sprawled out on the counter.

Sally reached into the pockets of her apron and took out two keys, playing them on the counter. “Here are your keys to your rooms. Can I help you with anything else?”

“I just have one question; are the rooms soundproof?” Kara took her key, that had a small tag that read [#14]. Barry grabbed his own key. 

_ Ding! _

**[x1 Key to Room #14]**

“They are, my dear. This tavern was built with thick wood, so every room is certainly soundproof.” Sally informed Kara. “Once you are done eating, you can leave the bowls and head to your rooms. I will deal with them.”

Both Kara and Barry nodded.

“Please enjoy your meals.” Sally was waved at by another NPC, making her walk to the other side of the floor.

Kara eyed her spaghetti, then grabbed the fork and took a bite. “Tastes like real food.” The weird pinching in her stomach let up a bit.

Barry turned to look at her, his cheeks stuffed with food. “H-hmm, ish good.”

Kara continued to eat, then noticed Streaky staring at her food. 

“Oh right.” Kara opened her  **< Menu>, ** glancing at the time which read  **10:10 PM** , then went into her  **[Inventory]** and spawned  **[x1 Cat food]** . She placed the small bowl of cat kibble near Streaky, who rushed to sit, and who began to eat.

They continued to eat in silence.

Once they were done eating, they sat in silence, getting used to the odd feeling in their stomachs.

“It feels like I’m full, but at the same time it feels weird.” Barry muttered after a few seconds, rubbing his stomach. 

“It’s probably the system that told us to eat, maybe.” Kara straightened up in her seat, stretching. 

“What do you mean?”

“SAO has a system in which it aids the player. It helped beta players when it came to certain movements, like fighting or running. I’m thinking they made changes to the system, in order to make us feel something akin to hunger, and the sensation of feeling full.” Kara eyed Streaky who continued to eat.

“Weird.” Barry sighed. “Is it possible to also feel exhaustion? I’m feeling tired.”

“Probably. Are you going to your room?” Kara asked.

“Yes.” Barry stood up. “Hey uh, you know my real name? C-can I know yours? Of course you don’t have to tell me if you don't want to.” Barry started to walk towards the staircase.

“...It’s Kara.” Kara whispered, staring at Streaky who had paused a second before eating again.

Barry stopped, before turning to glance at Kara, smiling widely. “Good night, Kara.”

“I’ll be outside the south of Stonewall around  **8 AM** , so you can find me when you wake up. We can do some training.” Kara said quickly. “And, good night Barry. See you in the morning.” She heard his footsteps go up the set of stairs.

Streaky’s bowl then shattered into thousands of small polygons. The kitten licked his lips, laying back down on the counter.

“You done huh?” Kara scratched his neck.

_ “Meow.”  _ Streaky arched into her hand.

“You want to sleep?”

Streaky let out a yawn, stretching his body along the counter.

Kara chuckled. She then stood up, picking him up in her arms. “C’mon, let's go to our room.” She made her way to the staircase, waving to Sally. She walked up the stairs to the next floor and looked for her room. She walked down the hallway until she found her room. Kara opened her  **< Menu** >, went into  **[Inventory]** , and spawned  **[x1 Key to Room #14].** She opened the door with the key, walked in and closed the door behind her. 

The room had a bed for one person in the corner, with a nightstand and a lamp next to it. There was a window with a view towards the streets. A simple room for the night.

Kara walked over to the bed, placing Streaky near the pillow. Streaky made himself comfortable.

Kara looked around the room, seeing the thick wood of the walls. She walked over to one, then punched the wall. She saw a small sign appear on the wall  **[Immortal Object].**

_ ‘They kept that in, huh?.’ _ Kara walked over to another wall and punched it as well.  **[Immortal Object]** appeared again. 

**[Immortal Objects]** could be locations, items, NPC’s, or anything in game, that can’t be harmed by a player. During the BETA, many players had experimented with the  **[Immortal Objects]** , finding out how they worked, how to find loopholes around it. There had been a post on the forum about how a group of beta testers had lured a group of monsters to a town, where players weren’t able to harm anything, and the monsters had ended up killing all the NPC’s. The town had lost its place as a  **< Safe Zone>** , and none of the NPC’s had respawned, leaving it as an empty town for the most part.

Kara walked over to the bed, sitting down. 

Eventually, there had been a party of beta testers that took it over, making it their base. Once several best testers reached level 15, guilds began to appear. The beta testers who took over that town eventually formed a guild. 

A player killer guild.

Kara grimaced.

They didn't have an official guild name as far as Kara knew, but they had certainly been a problem. There had been incidents with troll players before the guild popped up, and several beta testers had found that prior troll players had joined the player killer guild. That guild would ambush players, take their items for a quest, then kill them. 

It had been an annoyance to players in the beta, but now?

Those players could end up murdering real people, if they do pop up. 

Kara laid down on the bed, resting her head on the pillow. She reached over to the lamp, turning it off, leaving the room in darkness. She felt Streaky move, then felt him crawl into the space of where her neck and shoulder met. Streaky purred in his sleep, calming Kara’s thoughts.

Kara closed her eyes. 

It would be a rough night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions or ideas, let me know!

**Author's Note:**

> And so concludes the first chapter. Now, I had a couple of ideas as to where I'm taking this story. If you have any ideas, or any questions, let me know!


End file.
